He founded several airlines and worked on innovative aviation projects until recently. A few weeks ago he died completely unexpectedly and without any warning at the age of 68. The Austrian aviation entrepreneur Georg Pommer was one of the pioneers of private air travel in the Alpine republic.

Jörg Pommer, who was also a private pilot himself, made the leap into aviation many, many years ago at Tyrolen Airways, which at that time was still wholly owned by the Langes-Swarovski family. He worked his way up to head of the charter department and was already considered a creative mind back then. Be it charter flights to Courchevel or just opening up Naxos for tourism. It was Jörg Pommer who made the island, which was hardly known to tourists at the time, attractive to local tour operators. Today's charter flights between Austria and Naxos have their origins with Georg Pommer, who also recently spent his retirement there.

He was the epitome of the “stand-up guy” because some projects were not successful – at least not in the long term. But Jörg Pommer never let that get him down, instead he worked on the next project and was usually able to get investors excited about it within a short period of time. The airlines Fairline, Styrian Spirit and Robin Hood have one thing in common: they were originally founded by Jörg Pommer. At the time of the bankruptcies, however, he was no longer operationally active in the company and no longer involved.

Georg Pommer never and always fought for justice. Sometimes it was about, from his point of view, particularly high fares from Austrian Airlines from Graz, sometimes about media reports that weren't quite properly researched, in which he came to the "kiss of the hand" even though he had sold the company at the time for almost over a year and sometimes also about that ideas he had were quickly copied by other airlines - of course without financial compensation.

Jörg Pommer was also controversial because he also had a reputation as the founder of an assembly line for regional airlines that didn't last very long. One or two employees can probably still remember fundamental discussions with him. For example, the deceased always attached great importance to ensuring that the best catering was always served on board “his” aircraft. Many employees viewed this as no longer up to date. Occasionally he also had ideas that were ahead of their time, but years later have become industry standards.

His last project was Cyclades Air, a small regional airline that offers regional flights within Greece with Cessna Caravan in cooperation with the Greek iFly. Jörg Pommer has put his heart and soul into this project over the last ten years because his dream was that the island of Naxos would be better connected to other Greek islands. A few months before the first flight, he sold the company and the aircraft to local investors, but continued to support Cyclades Air. And who knows, maybe Jörg Pommer already had ideas for a new Austrian regional airline? This cannot be ruled out, because in addition to Naxos, his heart also belonged to his hometown of Styria, where he always spoke about how there are so many gaps that need to be closed from Graz onwards.

There were a few pioneers in Austrian private aviation who, despite the fact that many obstacles were put in the way by the state to protect the Austrian Airlines, which was then completely state-owned and run according to the proportional principle, remained steadfast in their vision. In Innsbruck this was the Langes-Swarowski family, who built Tyrolean Airways, in Vienna it was Hans-Jörg Stöckl (Montana Austria) and Niki Lauda (Lauda Air), in Vorarlberg Rolf Seewald (Rheintalflug and Intersky) and in Graz and Naxos Georg Pommer (Tyrolean Airways - as an employee - as well as Fairline, Robin Hood, Styrian Spirit and Cyclades Air - as company founders. Of the pioneers of private aviation mentioned, Jörg Pommer was the youngest.

I personally met Jörg Pommer a long time ago and during what was probably the most difficult time of his life. I personally experienced how he never let himself get down and always picked himself up and looked forward. In all the years of friendship with Jörg, I have seen him as a sincere friend and innovative entrepreneur who always surprised people with new ideas - no matter how good or bad things were for him. He was a real stand-up man who didn't let anything or anyone demotivate him. He gained strength not only in Naxos and at home in Graz, but also on his beloved island of Naxos.

Jörg, you will be missed by Austrian aviation, just as my team and I will miss you. You saw yourself as the last Mohican of Austrian regional aviation and that's exactly what you were, because apart from you, few people had the courage to start again and again and admit that you made mistakes in the last project from which you learned. What have I learned from you? That when everything in life looks bad, that it just keeps going and when there is no straw to grasp at, then you just make one yourself and pick yourself up again. Thank you, Jörg, for all the exciting years with you.

On behalf of the Aviation.Direct team, I extend our sincere condolences to the Pommer family! May Jörg always be remembered as the person he was in his heart and may he always remain with you in your hearts.

For the Aviation.Direct team:

Jan Gruber
(Managing Editor)